The Miracles of Broth

I’ve been making my own chicken broth for quite some time as it’s something that’s been passed down through my mother. Usually by making puchero or paella. However, It’s only been since this last year that I started to learn about all of the health benefits of broth. I now make large batches of chicken and beef broth which I freeze in pint jars to use in almost all of my dishes. I’m still trying to find a good source of whole fresh fish to make fish stock. If you live near a coast, take advantage of fish and seafood 🙂

Broth or stock goes back centuries as a source of nourishment and for its medicinal properties. Made properly, broth contains minerals in a form the body can absorb easily. By adding a couple tablespoons of vinegar to your broth it releases calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, silicon, sulphur and trace minerals from the bones. It contains the broken down material from cartilage and tendons, like chondroitin sulphates and glucosamine, which are now sold as expensive supplements for arthritis and joint pain.

One of the most interesting things I’ve learned about homemade broth is the extraction of collagen or gelatin from the bones and joints.

Properly made broth will gell just like jell-0. The gelatin in broth itself has been noted to aid in digestion. According to Traditional Bone Broth in Modern Health and Disease by Allison Siebecker, she notes that gelatin has been researched to aid in the digestion of milk. the digestibility of beans and meat, and that gelatin increased the utilization of the protein in wheat, oats and barley, all gluten containing grains.

Commercially bought stock does not compare to what can be made at home with the proper bones. Usually devoid of minerals and sometimes not even made from bones. Making your own stock is simple, nourishing and frugal!

Besides the innumerable health benefits behind homemade broth, there is absolutely no substitute for it in your cooking. Behind every excellent chef and home cook is broth made from scratch. From reduction sauces, gravies, soups and stews, thought and time is put into the broth which makes up the heart of the dish. I use broth in almost all of my dishes. When cooking rice, pasta, enchilada sauces, stews, chili’s and gravy. When you start to think about everything that you incorporate water into, that’s when you can substitute it for homemade broth and benefit from all of the minerals and gelatin.

Where do you get your bones?

I have been ordering them from grassfed cows from my family farmers. Ask for soup bones. You’ll get nice bones with bone marrow and slabs of meat, perfect for flavor.

Instead of buying pre-cut chicken, get into the habit of buying whole chickens and cutting it up yourself. You’ll have the added benefit of adding the back pieces, neck and gizzards to your broth. (I have a great guest-post coming up on how to cut a chicken!) Make sure to save all of the pieces of bones. Or what I do is put an entire chicken into a pot and slow cook it all day and I will use that meat for enchilada’s or pulled chicken sandwiches. Super easy to throw into a crock pot and walk away 😉

Save, Save, Save, meat bones! After eating steaks, broiled meat, get into the habit of saving those bones in the freezer. After 3 – 4 lbs have been collected, you can make a batch of broth.

Really, it’s just thinking about saving your bones and substituting broth into your meals. Sadly, this is a tradition that has gone by the wayside, but we can bring it back!

Here are a couple recipes for Bone Stock from Nourishing Traditions, with some alterations 😉

Chicken Stock

For chicken stock, definitely use chickens feet if you can find them! Seems gross and wierd, but they are full of gelatin! I also have my family farmers save these for me, I think they’re great! 😀

If you are using a whole chicken, cut off the wings and remove the neck, fat glands and the gizzards from the cavity. By all means, use chicken feet if you can find them – they are full of gelatin. (Jewish folklore considers the addition of chicken feet the secret to successful broth. Farm raised, free-range chickens will give the best results. Many battery-raised chickens will not produce stock that gels.

Cut chicken parts into several pieces. (If you are using a whole chicken, remove the neck and wings and cut them into several pieces.) Place chicken or chicken pieces in a large stainless steel pot with water, vinegar and all vegetables except parsley. Let stand 30 minutes to an hour. Bring to a boil, and remove scum that rises to the top. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 6 to 24 hours. The longer you cook the stock, the richer and more flavorful it will be. About 10 minutes before finishing the stock, add parsley. This will impart additional mineral ions to the broth.

Remove whole chicken or pices with a slotted spoon. If you are using a whole chicken, let cool and remove chicken meat from the carcass. Reserve for other uses.

Strain the stock into a large bowl and reserve in your refrigerator until the fat rises to the top and congeals. Skim off this fat and reserve the stock in covered containers in your refrigerator or freezer.

Beef Stock

Good beef stock must be made with several sorts of bones: knuckle bones and feet impart large quantities of gelatin to the broth; marrow bones impart flavor and the particular nutrients of bone marrow; and meaty rib or neck bones add color and flavor.

Ingredients:

about 4lbs beef marrow and knuckle bones

1 calves foot, cut into pieces (optional, ask your family farmer to reserve you a calves foot and asked to be cut in 1 inch cubes)

3 pounds meaty rib or neck bones

4 or more quarts cold filtered water

1/2 cup vinegar

3 onions, chopped

3 carrots, chopped

3 celery sticks chopped

several sprigs of fresh thyme, tied together

1 teaspoon dried green peppercorns, crushed

1 bunch parsley

4 tablespoons tomato paste

1 cup red wine such as merlot or cabernet sauvignon

Place the knuckle and marrow bones and optional calves foot in a very large pot with vinegar and cover with water. Let stand for one hour.

Meanwhile, place the meaty bones in a roasting pan and brown at 350 degrees in the oven. When well browned, add to the pot along with the vegetables. Pour the fat out of the roasting pan and add 4 tbls of tomato paste and 1 cup of red wine to the pan, set over a high flame and bring to a boil, stirring with a wooden spoon to loosen up coagulated juices. Add this liquid to the pot. Add additional water, if necessary, to cover the bones; but the liquid should come no higher than within one inch of the rim of the pot, as the volume expands slightly during cooking.

Bring to a boil. A large amount of scum will come to the top, and it is important to remove this with a spoon. After you have skimmed, reduce heat and add the thyme and peppercorns.

Simmer stock for at least 12 hours and as long as 72 hours. Just before finishing, add the parsley and simmer another 10 minutes.

Remove bones with tongs or a slotted spoon. Strain the stock into a large bowl. Let cool in the refrigerator and remove the congealed fat that rises to the top. Transfer to smaller containers and to the freezer for long-term storage.

Diana is a mother of three, proud wife, and humbled daughter of God. She finds the most joy meeting with Jesus in her organic gardens. She is completely blessed to be able to call herself a stay at home mom where she home educates her children, joyfully serves her husband, and cooks nourishing, real food, for her family. She loves connecting with people on facebook, google+, pinterest, and instagram.

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52 Comments

Deliciously Organic on October 28, 2009 at 9:50 am

Great post! I love the picture of the chicken feet…perfect for halloween! 🙂

Very informative Diana.I just made a homemade veggie stock last week & it was delish. I now have a freezer full of it (am thinking I'm probably going to need a chest freezer soon LOL) Can't wait to make the chicken stock. Hope it gels ; )

Hi Eric! Thanks for stopping by! You know, that's how it's written in Nourishing Traditions, and I feel that it's because these pieces contain more of the gelatin that can be released. I haven't cut up these pieces and am going to be doing this the next time to test it out and see if my chicken stock gels! I'll definitely let you know!

Thanks so much for this great info! I'm about 5 months pregnant and want to start experimenting with making my own bone broth as a means of feeding my growing baby and healing after birth. Not to mention it's a just a great way to bring added nutrition to my whole family!

Great post! I love to make stock, but I've never had the courage to use the chicken feet! My husband's family is Peruvian, and they actually eat the feet in a stew! It's a mental thing with me, but I just can't force myself to use them in stock!

Bravo for writing such an informative and comprehensive article on broth. Adding vinegar to broth is a very good tip! I miss those days in San Francisco, when I was able to pick up delicious organic marrow bones that create such delicious, rich beef broth.

Also kudos for using chicken feet, necks and gizzard, not only do these parts add nuances of flavor, the feet add a beautiful gelatinous texture.

If you haven't tried oxtails in beef broth, this bone part also is rich in gelatin, and oh so delicious!

Karla – I love your site! Thanks for the comment. A book I would recommend which I will definitely buy if I have another one, is real food for mother and baby by Nina Planck. The fertility diet, eating for two and baby's first foods. This book alone makes me want to have another one, lol!!

Alexis – The chicken feet used to gross me out to, lol!! That was until I actually learned how to process chickens. Now they don't phase me, ha!

Erica – Besitos Amiga!!

Christine – Thanks for your sweet comment and the oxtail info. I actually have an oxtail coming soon and will be making a stew from it, YUMMO! Can't wait 😉

I always save wings, necks, and backs of chickens to make broth with. Just the other day, though, I managed to keep enough beef bones (I was cutting up whole roasts for beef stew for 40 people) to make a wonderful pho stock. I don't usually seek out beef bones, but I should! I love how rich the marrow makes everything taste!

Diana,You have a beautiful blog. Love your posts and pics. I too stash bones in the freezer for later use of broth making. Have to admit though, I feel like some of the others about the chicken feet, yikes! Funnt, I just posted on added bonus of broth when boiling chicken for a recipe. I have tried all sorts of recipes and will have to give yours a try. Glad I found you on FoodBuzz. Keep up the wonderful posts. Bravo.Carla

Amiga – I have my huge All Clad stock pot on the stove right now – making Beef bone broth. I had just started getting the ingredients together when I saw your post – and switched gears and am following your recipe. I love it! We have a cow in the freezer – I *almost* added the oxtail to this batch, darn it all! I will next time, tho! We are so glad we said "yes, include the bones" when they asked before they processed the cow!

Hi Diana … I cut through all the bones to open them up before putting them in the pot. Gels every time! For a deeper, richer flavor and color I'll roast the chicken parts for a bit, then cut them up and put them in the pot. I simmer it all day long … I love making stock! Super yummy and super healthy! What a great post!

So glad you shared this post with me Diana!! I've attempted chicken broth before & I guess I get wierded out by the "scum." Your detailed instructions and seeing everyone chime in makes it seem more normal to me. I was raised by vegetarians so my mom never made homemade stock/broth. My granparents ahd a farm, but I guess I missed out when she was making broth. They were big homesteaders back in the 70s so I know they did.

I have done turkey soup successfully with leftover from Thanksgiving. It was delicious!! My SIL taught me how to do that.

Your post makes it seem doable…and will have to try sometime.

QUESTION – Should I save bones even if they are not from an organic animal? The kids and I mostly eat organic meat, but hubby buys regular at times.

In the past few months, we've gotten in the habit of buying whole chickens rather than the boneless parts, and I always make chicken stock with the carcasses after roasting. I use the crockpot and let it cook overnight, and by morning I have beautiful rich stock that sets up into chicken jello.

I've never heard of adding vinegar to my stocks to help release more minerals from the bone, but I'll start making that part of my regular practice!

I am so glad I stumbled onto your website! I recently started buying my meat from a local farm, and the stock made from my farm raised chicken gelled just like you said. But since that had never happened before I thought I had messed it up and was afraid to use it! Well I will be making some soup tonight from leftovers and happily using my healthy stock! Thanks for the info!!

Awesome post! I ended up here by checking your posole recipe. I make my own broth because I’m allergic to MSG but I didn’t know all the benefits of homemade broth. I didn’t know about the gelatin in chicken feet either. I will start buying them at my Asian store.

First time I ever made homemade stock, the recipe I had was “bones and whatever vegetable scraps you’ve saved, minus red onions [and other veggies that color the stock]”. I used onion skins, carrot peelings, celery leaves, tater bits. It made wonderful stock, was ridiculously cheap (since you use veggie leftovers), and easy to make.

Thanks for the tips on cooking longer, using feet, and why exactly it’s good to use the carcass (bones).

Love this. My mom gave me a soup pot as a shower gift!! Suggestions: add a parsnip for extra vit C, turkey necks & wings make great broth & brown all bones first to add depth of flavor (pour off the fat to make degreasing easier later). I always cook for at least 12 hours so I discard all solids they have given their all.

I have recently read that you can make chicken stock in a pressure cooker. Have you ever done that? I have made mine on the stove and crockpot but my crockpot brings it to a continues boil on low and I feel this is the problem for it not gelling so I was trying the presure cooker so my boys don’t have to out up with smell all through the night.

I just found you site and great info. My mother-in-law loves to make her own chicken & beef stock. She will seek out farmers who are willing to sell her chicken feet and soup bones. Last night I made my very first pot of chicken stock because I bought a whole chick from my local grocer and thought it would be a waist to throw away all the bones; so I decided to boil them and see what happens. After boiling for about 3 hours, the kitchen smelled awesome! I didn’t use any of the extra ingredients you mentioned, but this morning I drank a cup of warm chicken stock and it was delish!! Oh, and it was gelled also just as you mentioned so I consider that great news after reading. I think that I might have found a new hobby when making dinner.

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I’m Diana – mother of three, proud wife, and daughter to an amazing God. Here you’ll find an encouraging community seeking to nourish our families both physically and spiritually. You’ll find us in our kitchens, gardens, and homeschool rooms pursuing a simple life in food, faith, and family.

Nourish Your Family Today!

Joing the My Humble Kitchen community today and I'll send you my eBook, A Month of Meals from My Humble Kitchen to Yours absolutely free. You'll receive recipes, kitchen tutorials, gardening tips, and more to living a life in wellness!